Publication Year:
2003
Issue:
11
Published by:
EQUINET
Discussion document
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic spreads and matures, affecting large swathes of
people across the southern African region, it is eating into the social, economic
and political fabric of many communities. This became startlingly apparent with
the recent humanitarian crisis in the region, when over 14 million people were
threatened with starvation. The causes included the usual factors of bad weather,
and economic mismanagement, but the added impact of HIV/AIDS seems to
have tipped many people into destitution. The immediate response has been an
emergency one with thousands of tonnes of food aid and emergency health care.
At the same time, it is quite clear that the traditional health and agricultural
services have not significantly reduced the vulnerability or susceptibility of
millions of people to HIV/AIDS or malnutrition or food insecurity.
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